Printing apparatus



March 4, 1952 c; H GILBERT 2 587,612

PRINTING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 19, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l Z3306 M502 6bar/195i Ga'le rf 9 myyw March 4, 1952 c. H. GILBERT 2,587,612

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:7 7 AVE. j 4%? AVN 3 717 2 4A? 4 44 j z .7 if y 34 I 6' 4 J [rave-725072 6734712512 65146676 1 y M Luau W Aid" a March 1952 c. H. GILBERTPRINTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-$heet 3 Filed NOV. 19, 1948 Zriaendor(Viardasfl 661662 6 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 PRINTING APPARATUS Charles H.Gilbert, Brookline, Mass, asslgnor "to Farrington Manufacturing Company,Jamaica Plain, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationNovember 19, 1948, Serial No. 60,845

2 Claims. (Cl. 101269) This invention relates to a device such as isshown in Patent 1,801,592, granted April 21, 1931, for printing namesand addresses or other indicia on sales slips or the like, with portableprinting plates having raised characters.

Heretofore such devices have usually employed an inked typewriterribbon, a roller for pressing the ribbon against the uppermost salesslip and mechanism for advancing the ribbon between successiveimpressions and periodically reversing the direction of travel. Althoughsuch devices have proved satisfactory the necessary use of an inkingribbon and associated winding mechanism substantial-1y increases thecost of manufacture, and periodically the inking ribbon must be changed,requiringan inconvenient and somewhat irksome procedure.

Instead of pressing an ink ribbon against the uppermost sales slip witha roller, it has been proposed to dispense with the ribbon and employ anink-absorbent roller. However the requirements for successful operationare so exacting that only a few materials are suitable and unless madewith great care the rollers differ in printing characteristics. manyporous materials do not have the crushing strength necessary towithstand the stresses set up in the roller as it is rolled over theraised characters on the printing plate with only a few thicknesses ofthin paper between the plate and roller.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide asimplified device which dis-r penses with the necessity of using aninking ribbon and winding mechanism, but which possesses all theadvantageous features of the prior devices, and to provide a devicewherein the inking member may be readily removed and re placed. Otherobjects are to provide a device in which the ink-reservoir roller is notsubjected to much pressure in operation and can be made of any porousmaterial capable of absorbing ink and depositing a thin film of ink on asmooth surface when rolled thereover.

According to the present invention the machine comprises two opposedmembers, one having a seat for the printing plate and the other having aprinting roller mounted for movement in a path parallel to andsubstantially contiguous with the raised characters of the printingplate for pressing against the plate a sheet interposed between the twomembers, characterized by a porous ink-reservoir roller for applyinginkto the printing roller and a spring or other means holding theink-reservoir roller in For example rolling contact with the peripheryof the printing roller during the aforesaid movement. Preferably themachine also has a stop or other means for disengaging the ink-reservoirroller from the printing roller when the printing roller reaches itsidle retracted position so that ink does not transfer from theink-reservoir roller while the printing roller stands in retractedposition. In its preferred embodiments the machine also has a mainspringfor returning the printin roller to retracted position, the mainspringbeing sufllciently stronger than the auxiliary spring to continue theprinting roller to retracted position after the ink-reservoir rollerengages the aforesaid stop.

For the purpose of illustration typical embodiments of the invention areshown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment with the opposed membersseparated for the insertion of a printing plate and the sheet or sheetsto be printed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same embodiment with the parts inoperative position and a .book of sales slips applied to the machine;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the cover removed and with the parts inidle position;

Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section with the parts in mid-position;

Fig. 5 is a, section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a face view of a printing plate suitable for use in themachine;

Fig. 8 is a view like Fig. 3 showing a modification;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view like Figs. 3 and 8 showing another modification; and

Fig. 11 is a section on line H-H of Fig. 10.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 comprises a base I formed at oneend with an upstanding block 2 to which a plate holder 4 is rigidlysecured in spaced relation to the base I so as to permit the body of asales book B to be, inserted beneath the plate holder as illustrated inFig. 2. The plate holder is recessed as indicated at 5 (Figs. 5 and 6)and is provided with a yieldable plate-centering member 8 adapted tosupport a printing plate P (Fig. '7) within the recess 5. The printingplate P may be of the construction shown in Patent 1,912,437, beingformed with raised characters in non-reversed order.

A head lllis pivotally mounted at the rear of the plate holder so as toswing upwardly, as

shown in Fig. 1, to permit sales slips or the like to be positioned onthe printing plate P, the head Ill comprising a split casing or housing(Fig. 6) within which are spaced side walls M and formed with alignedelongate guide slots I6 and I1 defining a path parallel to the plane ofthe characters of the printingplate P.

Spaced depending arms 29 and 2| are pivoted at their upper ends to aspacer block 22 (Figs. 3-6) and the lower ends of these arms terminatein bifurcated portions 24 and 25 aligned with the guide slots l6 and II.One end of a tension spring 26 is connected with a spacer block 28 atthe rear of the housing and its other end is connected with a pin 39extending between the central portions of the arms 26 and 2|, a tensionspring 2% being operative to retract and hold the arms in retractedposition (Fig. 3).

An actuating member 32 in the form of a bellcrank is pivotally mountedbetween the side walls Hi and I5 with one arm 33 projecting outwardlythrough an opening in the front of the casing i5 and its other arm 34extending inwardly. The arm 33 is provided with an operating handle 36and the inner end of the arm 34 is pivotally connected by a link 38 withthe pin 39, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that bydepressing the handle3ii, the arms 20 and 2| are swung forwardly, andupon releasing the handle the spring 26 retracts the arms and restoresthe handle to elevated position.

The bifurcated ends 24 and 25 of the arms 29 and 2| embrace the endportion of an axle or shaft 40 associated with a printing roller 4|arranged to travel along a path parallel to and substantially contiguouswith the plane of the characters of the printing plate P carried byplate-holder 4. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6 the shaft 4!] has a slidingfit within the roller 4|. The ends of the shaft 49 carry disc-like rolls42 fitting within the slots I6 and II with washers 44 contiguous to theouter faces of side walls [4 and I5. Retainers 45 are riveted orotherwise secured to the outer faces of side walls l4 and I5 to preventdisplacement of the rolls and washers and these retainers are formedwith slots corresponding to but slightly smaller than the slots l5 and11, so as to permit the shaft 40 to be slid outwardly therethrough andthe printing roller (8| removed without displacing the rolls andwashers.

The mechanism for applying ink to the periphery of the roller 4|comprises an ink-reservoir roller 51 mounted on a removable shaft 58which projects from the ends of the roller through the slots 56 and IIand thence through slots 59 in the retainers 45. Surrounding theprojecting ends of the shaft 58 in the slots l6 and I! are rolls 62corresponding to the rolls 42 for the roller ii. The roller 51 is heldin contact with the roll 4| by a spring 93 except in the idle positionof the parts shown in Fig. 3. As the parts approach this position theprojecting ends of the shaft 58 strike the ends of the slots 59 toobstruct further movement of the ink-reservoir roll. The main spring 28is sufiicientlyistronger than the auxiliary spring 63 to continue themovement of the parts to the point where the arms 29 and 2 engage thestop pin 65. 1

To replace the ink-reservoir roller 51 it is necessary merely to removethe cover l0 and slide the shaft 58 out of the roller, whereupon theroller will drop out of the head. By advancing the printing roller 4| toa position where its shaft is in line with the slots 59, this roller mayalso be removed from the machine in the same way.

The modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is similarly constructed exceptin that instead of mounting the ink-reservoir roller on rolls in theslots l5 and 5 it is mounted in slots extending longitudinally of thearms 2|. Its shaft 1| projects through theseslots and its periphery ispressed into rolling contact with the printing roller by springs 12mounted in the arms. Disposed beneath the ends of the shaft ll are camsT3 to lift the ink-reservoir roller out of contact with the printingroller as the printing roller approaches the idle retracted positionshown in Fig. 8. The cams may be pivotally mounted at 14 for adjustmentand an eccentric adjusting screw 16 may be mounted in the side wall ofthe head to effect the desired adjustment of the spacing between the tworollers in the idle position. As shown in Fig. 9 the side plates 20 and2| may be provided with openings through which the shaft 1| may beremoved to replace the inkreservoir roller.

The modification of Figs. 3 and 9 also differs from that shown in Figs.1 to 6 in that pinions 11 are mounted on the projecting ends of theshaft 18 of the printing roller for engagement with inclined racks 19mounted on the side walls of the head adjacent the upwardly inclinedends of the slots I6 and II. In riding down the inclined ends of theslots the engagement of the pinions ll with the stationary racks l9rapidly rotate the printing roller so that the freshly inked portion ofits periphery is brought into printing relation with the sheet to beprinted by the time the print! ing roller descends to printing level.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the inking roller 8| isjournaled in two arms 82 which are pivotally mounted on the side wallsof the head at 83. The roller 8| is held in contact with the printingroller by a spring 84, one end of which is attached to the head by a pini6 (Fig. 11) andthe other end of which is connected with the arms 82through a pin 81. In the idle position the ink-reservoir roller is heldout of contact with the printing roller by means of a stop pin 88 in thepath of the arms 82. Here again the printing and ink-reservoir rollersmay readily be removed by lifting off the cover and sliding the rollershafts out through the slot It or II. As the inking roller moves fromthe retracted position 9| to the advanced position 92 the ink-reservoirroll moves from the full-line position to the dotted-line position 93.

The printing roller may be made of any hard strong material but steel isrecommended. The ink-reservoir roller of each embodiment may be made ofany porous material capable of absorbing ink and depositing a thin filmof ink on the smooth printing roller. Typical examples comprise powderediron compact, powdered copper compact, graphite, gypsum, thermosettingresin, ceramic compositions and silicate compositions.

A graphite roller may comprise compressed graphite or carbon impregnatedwith pitch and reheated to carbonize the pitch, thereby producing adense-material such as manufactured and sold by U. S. Graphite Companyunder the name Graphitar #4.

A satisfactory iron compact roller may be made from mesh electrolyticiron with added graphite, ferro-manganese and lubricant, pressed at 4.5tons per square inch pressure, sintered and hardened by quenching. I

A good powdered copper compact may be made from 100 mesh copper powderwith. addedlubrlcantv and'pressed at nine tons per square inch and thensintered.

A satisfactory gypsum roller may be made from calcium sulfate made andsold by U. S. Gypsum Company under the name Red Top Plaster of Paris bymaking a paste with water, casting and then drying.

A good silicate roller may be made by mixing sodium silicate, sodiumfiuosilicate and fine aggregate into a paste and then casting anddrying.

A good thermosetting resin roller may be made from phenol formaldehyderesin made and sold by the Bakelite Corporation under the trade nameBakelite Molding Compound XM 9131 Stiff Flow.

The pores of the ink reservoir roller should be of capillary size sothat the ink doesnot flow out except in response to pressure of theroller against the printing roller.

It is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose ofillustration and that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In the art of printing machines of the type adapted to use portableprinting plates having raised characters, a machine comprising twoopposed members, one of the members having a seat for a printing plateand the other member having a printing roller mounted for movement backand forth between advanced and retracted positions in a path parallel toand substantially contiguous with the raised characters of said platefor pressing against the plate a sheet interposed between said opposedmembers, a porous ink-reservoir roller for applying ink to said printingroller, a spring pressing the ink-reservoir roller against the printingroller so that the ink-reservoir roller rolls over the periphery of theprinting roller as the printing roller rolls over said sheet, and meansfor disengaging the ink-reservoir roller from the printing roller whenthe printing roller 6 reaches said retracted position so that the inkdoes not transfer from the ink-reservoir roller while the printingroller stands in retracted position.

2. In the art of printing machines of the type adapted to use portableprinting plates having raised characters, a machine comprising twoopposed members, one of the members having a seat for a printing plateand the other member having a printing roller mounted for movement backand forth between advanced and retracted positions in a path parallel toand substantially contiguous with the raised characters of said platefor pressing against the plate a sheet interposed between said opposedmembers, a main spring urging said roller toward said retractedposition, a porous ink-reservoir roller for applying ink to saidprinting roller, an auxiliary spring pressing the ink-reservoir rolleragainst the printing roller so that the ink-reservoir roller rolls overthe periphery of the printing roller as the printing roller rolls oversaid sheet, and a stop for disengaging the ink-reservoir roller from theprinting roller as the printing roller approaches said retractedposition, said main spring being sufiiciently stronger than theauxiliary spring to continue the printing roller to retracted postion.

CHARLES H. GILBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,194,410 Mittelstaedt Aug. 15,1916 1,359,034 Cooper Nov. 16, 1920 1,665,197 Lederer Apr. 3, 19281,829,586 Dugdale Oct. 27, 1931 2,026,115 Anthony Dec. 31, 1935

